1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to roofing materials, and more particularly to roofing drainage and ice-dam prevention systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is a common problem for water to drain off a roof and collect in a gutter because the drain is somehow blocked. When this occurs in colder climates, the excess water may freeze if the ambient temperature is low enough. The resultant ice-dam backs up onto the eaves of the house and forces its way under the shingles, thereby causing structural damage. This problem is largely endemic to the eaves of the roof because unlike the rest of the roof, the eaves receive no warmth from the living area of the house.
Another problem, common to homeowners, that occurs when the gutters get clogged by leaves or other foreign objects is the problem of stagnant water. Just as in the ice-dam problem, sitting water can cause serious damage to the edges of the roof if the gutter system is not watertight.
Attempts have been made to solve this problem, such as the product known as CELO-GUARD (TM), a product of Celotex. This product is a flexible underlayment designed to lay under the shingles on a roof so that water cannot penetrate down to the wood. It is constructed of a rubberized asphalt roofing sheet which is reinforced with a fiber glass mat. The product easily rolls and unrolls by hand. One side of the material is self-adhesive. The self-adhesive feature means the sheets firmly bond themselves to the roof deck and to each other, forming a continuous barrier against water intrusion.
Because shingles are installed on top of the underlayment, nails or staples will penetrate the underlayment. The rubberized asphalt self-seals around the nail or staple to maintain watertight integrity.
Gaf Materials Corporation advertises a product known as WEATHER WATCH (TM) Waterproof Underlayment, which performs in substantially the same manner as the Celotex CELO-GUARD (TM).
Without the benefit of a seal between the gutter and the underlayment, however, water can still force its way beneath the underlayment's surface and damage the home.
One known effort to provide a seal between the gutter and the underlayment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,319 to Frost et al, which discloses a roll formed or extruded aluminum piece comprising a first plate which acts as the underlayment, underlying the roof covering, a second plate oriented to fit flush against the fascia board, and a downwardly opening channel between the first and second plates, which receives the inner wall of a conventional gutter. A disadvantage of the apparatus disclosed by Frost et al., is that the invention cannot be used with existing underlayment materials such as the WEATHER WATCH (TM) Waterproof Underlayment and the Celotex CELO-GUARD (TM) described above, or with other similar materials. These existing underlayment materials do not include the required downwardly opening channel. The aluminum material of the Frost et al. reference must be formed to match the slope of the roof, and the material is not self-sealing around any fasteners which would penetrate; thus it lacks the resistance to water penetration of the products which self-seal.
Other apparatus have been developed for supporting gutters from rigid plates which underly the roof covering. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,343,461 to Marberg, and 4,271,643 to Sweers, as well as Japanese Patent 2-58,665 to Sekisui Chemical Company, LTD disclose such inventions. Each of these inventions include unique structure for the rigid plates which underly the roof covering; thus, they are not suitable for use with the WEATHER WATCH (TM) Waterproof Underlayment and the Celotex CELO-GUARD (TM) described above, or with other similar materials. The rigid materials must be formed to match the slope of the roof, and they are not self-sealing. Furthermore, these inventions were not designed for preventing ice dams at eaves of roofs, but were instead designed for supporting gutters from roofs.
German Patent 2005475 to L. Stromeyer and Co. discloses a method of supporting a gutter from a wall of a tent. This patent discloses an elongated metal plate which attaches to a side wall of a tent, beneath a strip of flashing. The plate has a thickened bottom edge, which is captured by a series of spaced clips attached to a back wall of a gutter. This invention was also not designed for preventing ice dams. The objects of the invention are to direct rain water away from the tent wall and into the gutter, and to support the gutter. This invention would not work properly with the flexible WEATHER WATCH (TM) and CELO-GUARD (TM) products, or similar materials, because the gutter would not be suspended from the tent in the proper upright position unless a rigid plate is used.
What is needed is a gutter system that provides an impermeable seal between the gutter and existing, flexible, self-sealing rubberized asphalt underlayment waterproofing material in order to protect the house from moisture damage. Such an apparatus would not require specially formed plates which match the slope of the roof.